Pacers Try Again to Snap Toronto’s Franchise-Record Run

Indiana held a 10-point lead over the Raptors with two minutes left Wednesday before Toronto stormed back for its 12th straight victory. The Pacers get another shot at ending the streak Friday in Indiana, where Toronto has lost six of its last seven visits.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Raptors have been favored in every game but one during their winning streak, and early action moved Toronto to one-point chalk as of Thursday night.

Toronto News & Notes

Toronto’s defense ranks second in the NBA in turnovers forced per possession, and that swarming defense helped fuel the Raptors’ comeback on Wednesday. The Raps forced 18 Indiana turnovers, including four in the final 1:41 that led to a game-closing 11-0 run. Seven different Toronto players recorded at least one steal as the Raptors outscored the Pacers 31-7 in fastbreak points.

That defense has been especially been dialed up following subpar performances. Toronto is 12-3-1 to the UNDER in its last 16 games after failing to cover the spread in its previous outing, also covering eight of its last 10 in that situation. But while the Raptors have covered 12 of their last 17 visits to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they’ve lost six of the last seven straight-up. Each of their last three losses at Indiana came by five points or less.

Indiana News & Notes

For a team that has taken good care of the basketball all season, the Pacers looked uncharacteristically lost in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. Indiana, which has committed the fourth-least turnovers per possession this year in the NBA, seemed to panic against Toronto’s press. “It wasn’t a special press. We weren’t organized… we didn’t get the ball up the court fast enough. We didn’t attack,” said guard Malcolm Brogdon. Victor Oladipo added, “I felt like (the Raptors) knew exactly what they wanted to do down the stretch. We weren’t really sure.”

The tough finish ruined what had otherwise been an impressive showing by the Pacers’ offense. Indiana blitzed the Raptors for 43 points in the second quarter, scored another 32 in the fourth and finished the night with a franchise-record 19 three-pointers. Domantas Sabonis recorded a triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) while Justin Holiday and Doug McDermott combined to score 41 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, Oladipo played a season-high 25 minutes Wednesday in his first start in four appearances since recovering from a knee injury that kept him out for a calendar year. Indiana is expected to sit him out to rest either Friday or the following night when the Pacers host New Orleans.

Betting Pick: UNDER 218.5

I’m expecting more defensive intensity in this rematch, and Indiana’s three-point shooting should regress after a 19-for-39 performance Wednesday.